Seafarers working on board ships using alternative fuels are not covered by existing training and competence standards, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has said.
The agency is holding a workshop on November 20th and 21st on the development of appropriate competences.
The workshop, which will be broadcast live, will gather experts from the European Commission, the International Maritime Organisation, EU member state administrations, industry, education and training institutions, and other maritime stakeholders, for analysis and discussion.
The workshop follows on from the publication of EMSA’s TRAINALTER report, published in December 2024.
TRAINALTER presented the results of a two-part study which aimed to identify and describe specific competences and training areas in terms of knowledge, understanding and proficiency for seafarers to ensure safe operations of ships using alternative fuels and energy systems.
The study also aimed to identify and justify methods for demonstrating competence and descriptions of training programmes and syllabus for seafarers and instructors.
As TRAINALTER report noted, the maritime industry is undergoing a technology transition towards decarbonised shipping.
To achieve the ambitious goals of reducing emissions from ships, several potential alternative fuels and energy systems have been identified for shipping, it says.
One of the main challenges that the technology transition entails is the additional training that seafarers on board ships using alternative fuels and systems need to undergo to ensure the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of these ships,it says.
The existing training and competence standards in the STCW Code do not specifically cover all aspects of the new fuels/fuel systems being adopted, it says.
These include seven different fuel types/systems: 1. Liquid Natural Gas 2. Biofuels 3. Methyl/ethyl alcohols (limited to methanol) 4. Hybrid electrical battery systems 5. Fuel cells 6. Ammonia 7. Hydrogen.
